Well, for the first time in a VERY long time I find myself typing again, If you have read anything else around here you may have noticed that I’m a bit of a geek. I love books, movies, comics, games. This is an old favourite of mine; to post some of my favourite things on a Friday. Today I have finally decided to talk about something I have planned to for a couple of years – my five favourite villains. Of course, they may have a wee bit of a geeky twist…

#5 Dracula

An old favourite of mine is pretty much the original vampire; Dracula. This is my great uncle’s fault as he used to tell me stories of the movies he saw as a young man. Bella Lugosi is my all time favourite version of the count (there have been many others that were just as good over the years). There is something so compelling about his portrayal, both haunted and dominating in equal measure. He brings such an interesting dynamic to the character and (forgive the pun) brings Dracula to life.

#4 The Master

As an old time Doctor Who fan I have always enjoyed the villains and my all time favourite is the Master. I started watching when Jon Pertwee was the Doctor and still remember the introduction of his compelling nemesis, played by the amazing Roger Delgado. He was intelligent, suave, witty, cold, calculating and every bit a match for the Doctor. There have been many versions of the character in the decades since, but Delgado is my favourite.

#3 Judge Death

I still remember the introduction of this iconic character and the chills he brought to Judge Dredd. An unkillable villain from a dimension where all crime was committed by the living, therefore life itself was declared a crime. Tall, skeletal, and virtually unstoppable one of the oldest Dredd villains was illustrated by the incredible Brian Bolland. Each week I raced to the front door to grab my copy of 2000AD and for that initial three week story I was hooked. In the end Death was defeated, but of course you can’t keep a good villain down!

#2 Darth Vader

Admittedly, one of the most iconic cinematic villains of all time. From the very first time I saw him on screen I was struck by his presence; tall, imposing, dressed in black armour. Over the decades the character has been given even greater depth (and a tragic pathos) that is hard to beat. He is almost my favourite villain ever, and a true icon of villainy.

#1 The Kurgan

Highlander was incredible when it came out (and yes, I am looking forward to the new version). Immortals battling through time, Queen’s epic soundtrack, the scope of the story and the epic locations. A Spaniard with a Scots accent, a Scot with a French accent, both of which you overlook in the broader context of the story! But for me, the standout was Clancy Brown’s performance as The Kurgan. He was a true villain and embraced the role with a manic fervour that is unbeaten to this day. There have been SO many good villains over the years, but for me the Kurgan is the absolute king of the villains – “I have something to say! It’s better to burn out than to fade away!”.